1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeding mechanism to be used with an electrophotographic copying apparatus or the like and, more particularly, to a paper feeding mechanism which includes a paper feed member for conveying copy paper and a retarding member adapted to be brought into abutting contact with the paper feed member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In electrophotographic copying apparatus or the like, as is well known in the art, there has been used especially as a high speed paper feeding device a paper feeding mechanism of the type in which a paper feed member such as a paper feed roller is positioned in the vicinity of a paper feed bed on which is mounted a copy paper cassette that carries copy paper, and in which a retarding member is adapted to be brought into abutting contact with the surface of that paper feed member. In a paper feeding mechanism of this type, more specifically, plural sheets of copy paper are lifted off from the copy paper cassette by the paper feeding motions of the paper feed member, but only the uppermost sheet of the copy paper is fed past the retarding member, which holds back the sheets that are below the topmost one. According to the construction thus far described, however, plural sheets of copy paper are held jammed between the paper feed member and the retarding member even when the paper feeding mechanism is feeding no copy paper. As a result, in case the copy paper cassette is to be removed out of the paper feed bed, there is a tendency for the jammed copy paper to be left in the paper feeding mechanism. Upon replacement or the like of the copy paper cassette, therefore, there arises the inconvenience that each of the sheets left on the paper feed bed has to be manually cleared.